Chockstone Forum

      Sponsored By
      ROCK
   HARDWARE

Chockstone Photography

Australian Landscape Prints

Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

Topic Date User

Totem Pole On Sight 10-Jan-2005 At 3:24:26 PM Onsight

Message

On 10/01/2005 Mark from US wrote:
>Ya, I did the Free Route, not 'Deep Play.' I always assumed Monique had
>done the Free Route as well.
Well, in a sense I think she did, just depends how you want to define it - and how pedantic people want to be about it - because in a sense the variant (aka "Deep Play") is just that, a variant of the Free Route. I've climbed both (in a fashion) and personally only consider the newer pitch a variant. Steve actually originally named it a “variant” but then later decided to call it "Deep Play", in memory of Paul’s accident instead. Anyway, whether or not the "Free Route" is defined by the original first pitch is purely academic - however it is a potential difference that I did (and do) recognise, and that is why I reported Monique's ascent as "the first onsight of the entire Totem Pole" - as opposed to the "first onsight of the (original?) Free Route on the Totem Pole".

So anyway, you should be really chuffed about it. It's awesome to hear you had so much fun on it. That's the important thing. So (so so so) much the better that you did it in immaculate style of course.

>That's why I was puzzled about the Tyrolean
>rope. When I was on the belay ledge it occured to me to throw the lead
>rope down,
Though you essentially do the same thing whichever way you've come up.
>but it was kinda windy and I didn't think I could get the rope
>to my belayer. Furthermore, my intrepid belayer had already been hit
>by three waves (!) I didn't want to subject her to any more torture.
I trust you shouted her to a very nice dinner afterwards!

>Not only does
>it look sweet, but the climbing is absolutely awesome. The rock is excellent,
>the moves are enjoyable, and the setting is completely unmatched. In terms
>of pure enjoyment and satisfaction, it was one of the best climbing days
>I've ever had! It sounds cliche, but a route like that is the reason you
>learn to climb.
Good to hear it (no-one would listen to me if told em that)! I've always felt similarly about it, that's one reason I'm always happy to keep going back. The day I did it with Monique was one of the most fun climbing days in my life.

Man, you're making me all misty eyed just thinking about it...

Cheers Mark. Great stuff!